Means for fluxing cans.



H. BLANFORD.

MEANS FOR FLUXING CANS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1913 1,090,095. Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. BLANPORD.

MEANS FOR FLUXING CANS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5,1913

1,090,095, Patented Mar. 10, 1914,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Wilargfmwi g WM /6 g.

H. BLANFORD.

MEANS FOR FLUXING CANS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1913.

1 ,O90,095 Patented Mar. 10, 191$ 4 QHEETS-BHEET 4.

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'tlhiliTF; @KATES PATENT UFFitClliZ.

HENRY BLANFORD, F AURORA, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR FLUXING CANS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Original application filed May 31, 1912, Serial No. 700,758. Divided and this application filed April 5,

Serial No. 759,167.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY BLANFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in li r'leans for Fluxing Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for applying flux to cans, about the tiller openings therein, preparatory to soldering caps or covers on the cans to cover the openings, the present application being divided out of an application for United States Letters Patent filed by me on May 31st, 19l2, and bearing Serial No. 700,758.

My primary object, generally stated, is to provide improvements in flux-applying mechanism to the end of applying to the cans, about the tiller openings therein, the proper amount of flux for insuring the proper soldering of the covers to the cans; to provide simple and improved mechanism for this purpose; to provide a machine wherein the cans to be filled are automatically moved into position for being operated on by lluxapplying mechanism; and, generally, to provide improvements in mechanism of this character whereby it will be caused to better perform the functions for which it is provided.

I have devised my improvements for use, more particularly, in a can filling and sealing machine wherein provision is made not only for the automatic filling of the cans, but also for the sealing thereof after filling, said sealing mechanism comprising fluxapplying mechanism, cap-applying mcchanism, solder-ring-applying mechanism and solder-fusing mechanism, whereby the cans are automatically advanced through the machine and automatically filled and sealed, the can-filling, cap-applying, solder-ringa iplying and. solder-fusing mechanisms not being the subject of the present invention, but being clearly disclosed in the above-re ferred to pending application, a description of these mechanisms will not be necessary.

Referring to the accompanying drawiugs Figuro l is a view in side elevation of a can filling and sealing machine, equipped with flux-applying mechanism and with cooperating can-moving mechanism constructed in accordance with my inventiou, the trough through which the cans are conveyed to the feed mechanism of the machine being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vrcw similar to Fig. 1 of the opposite side of the machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 4; 1s a section taken at the line f on Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrow: l 1g. 5 is a section taken at the line 5 on Fig. .1-, and yiewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. (3 is an enlarged section taken at the line 6 on Fig. 1, and viewed in the di rection of the arrow, this view showing my in'lprovcd Him-applying mechanism with h series of cans located below said mechanism and in position to be operated on by the latter. Fig. 7 is a view, like Fig. (i, showmg the i1u. :ap1' lyiug members depressed and in the position they assume when applying flux to the cans about the openings to be scaled; and Fig. 8, an enlarged section taken at the line 8 on Fig. 7, and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

In the machine illustrated provision is made for the automatic feeding of the cans through the machine by a stepby-stcp movement, and during the periods of rest, successively filling the cans with the material to be inclosed therein,applying a lluxing agent. caps and solder-rings, and thereupon fusing the solder, but. as the fillingmechanis1n,capapplying mechanism, sohler-ring-applying mechanism and solder-fusing mechanism, as hereinbefor stated and illustrated at X, Y, and Z, respectively, form no part of the present invention, a description of the construction and mode of operation thereof appears to be unnccessary excepting to state that in the machine illustrated the cans, after being filled, and then operatml on by my improved lluX'ap'plying mechanism hereinafter described, are advanced successively to the cap and solder-ring applying mechanisms and solder-fusiug mechanism, by the same mechanism which moves the cans successively into registration with the iluxapplying mechanism.

In the drawings, I have illustrated a machine in which my improvements, in their prefer-rial embodiment, are incorporated, and wherein provision is made by reason of the n-oportions of the machine for operation by each of the above referred to means upon three cans at a time, though it will be readily understood from the following description that by widening the machine and duplicating the several units of the various mechanisms, the number of cans operated upon at a time by each mechanism may be increased as desired, this being one of the advantages of my machine from a commercial standpoint.

The frame of the machine illustrated comprises a bed 9 containing longitudinallyextending parallel slots 10 and provided along its lateral edges with upwardly-extending rails 11, spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the combined width of the transverse series of cans to be operated on, as illustrated in Fig. 6; sideframes 12, to which the bed 9 is secured and upon which the latter rests, and bolts 13 connecting said side frames together to form a rigid support for the operating parts hereinafter described. In the particular construction illustrated, the side-rails 11 of the bed 9 are formed integrally with the side-frames 12 and the bed-proper 9 is formed of bars, spaced apart, to present the longitudinallyextending slots 10, and is secured to yokeshaped depending members 14: extending transversely of the bed 9 and fastened to the rails 11 in any desirable manner.

The cans to be filled and represented at 15 are supplied to the top of the bed 9, and are then advanced along the latter by a step-by-step movement into position for being operated upon successively, by the filling mechanism and the various mechanisms for sealing the cans, by means of a series of bars 16, shown as three in number, to correspond with the number of cans to be filled, in each transverse row thereof, the bars 16 being connected together at their under sides by transversely-extending plates 17, 18 and 19. The upper surfaces of the bars 16 are provided with transversely-extending lugs 20, the rear faces of which are vertical, as represented at 21, and the other faces thereof incline downwardly and forwardly, as represented at 22, these lugs being spaced apart longitudinally of the bars 16, a distance slightly in excess of the diameter of the cans 15, as represented in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the machine, the bars 16 are reciprocated both longitudinally of, and up and down through, the slots 10 in the bed 9, said bars being provided for the purpose of simultaneously advancing all of the cans a predetermined distance along the bed 9 into proper position for being operated on successively by the filling and sealing mechanisms hereinbefore referred to, the bars 1-6 after completing their forward movement in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 for advancing the cans, being withdrawn from the rear edges of the latter and below the bed 9 and thereupon moved in said depressed condition to the left in said figure, a distance equal to the distance between adjacent faces 21 of the lugs 20, the extreme forward position to which said bars below the plane of the bed 19 during the return movement of the bars to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, and be lifted above the plane of said bed preparatory to the movement of said bars to the right in said figure from the position therein shown for advancing the cans.

The mechanism for reciprocating the bars 16 longitudinally of the bed 9 comprises a link 23 pivotally connected at one end as indicated at 241 to the plate 19, said link being provided at its opposite end with rollers 25, 26, spaced apart and cooperating with a cam 27 located between said rollers and mounted on a shaft 28 which extends through a slot 29 in the link 23 and is journaled toward its opposite ends in the frame members 12, whereby when the shaft 28 is rotated, the link 23 will be reciprocated back and forth for reciprocating the bars 16. In the construction illustrated, the shaft 28 is continuously driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, through the medium of a main drive shaft 30 which is j ournaled in bearings 31 on the frame of the machine, the shaft 30, which may be operated in any suitable manner, carrying a worm 32 which meshes with a worm-wheel 33 rigid on the shaft 28.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the can-advancing bars 16 comprises rockshafts 3 1 journaled in the frame-sides 12, ipwardly and downwardly-extending arms and 36, respectively, connected with the rock-shafts 34, a link 37 pivotally connected at its opposite ends, as indicated at 38, to the lower ends of the arms 36 at one side of the machine, rollers 39 and 10 journaled on the link 37, and a cam 11 secured to the outer end of the shaft 28 and extending into a position to engage the rollers 39 and 40 for reciprocating the link 37 and thus causing the arms 35 to be rocked up and down. The parts just described are illustrated in Fig. 1 in the position they occupy when the arms 35 are swung to their lowermost position. When'the shaft 28 is rotated, as hereinbefore described, the engagement of the cam 41 with the rollers 39 and 40 will cause the link 37 to be forced to the right in Fig. 1, thus swinging the arms 35 upwardly, these arms in said movement engaging with the plates 17 and 18 and operating to lift the latter and the bars 16 into a position in which the lugs 20 will extend up through the slots 10 in the bed 9, as illustrated in,

Fig. 6, in which position the ends of the arms form supports upon which the members 17 and 18 slide in the can-advancing opera tion, the bars being in turn supported from said members.

My improved flux-applying mechanism is designed, more particularly, to apply a suitable 't'lUX to the tops of the cans about the openings 42 therein after the latter have been filled by the filling mechanism W and pre- 1i aratory to the depositing of caps and solder thereon and fusing the solder, the :lollowing being a description of such mccl'ianism: Secured to the frame of the machine, as indicated at 4:3, is a yoke-frame 4st in which vertically reciprocable flux-containing men'lbers 15, arranged in a series transversely of the machine are confined. The members are in the form of tubes 16 screwed at their upper ends into a cross-head +1.7, and divided by partitions 48 into upper lh'iX-containiim chambers 10 and lower chambers 50. The partitions -5LS contain openings 51, the walls of which taper upwardly, and extending into said openings are the frusto-conical heads 52 provided on the lower ends of rods 53 which extend through openings 51 in caps screwed upon the upper ends of the tubes 16. The upper ends of the rods 53, which are screwthreaded, as represented at 56, carry wing-nuts 57 through the medium of which the positions of the heads 52 in the openii'igs 51 may be regulated for controlling the gravity-teed of the flux-agent in the chambers 4L9 past the heads 52. The cham bers contain tubes 58 oi felt, or any other suitable absorbent material, which surround the heads 52 and project below the lower ends of the tubes 4L6, the internal diameter of the tubes 58 being preferably slightly grea ter than the openings 42 in the cans, and. in the particular construction illustrated, of such diameter as will cause them to extend into the annular grooves 59, provided about the openings 42, when the '[luxing mechanism operated as hereinafter described. For convenience in filling the chambers 49 with the lluxing agent, which may be of any desirable kind, but is preferably formed of rosin dissolved in gasolene, I provide funnels (30, which are secured to the respective tubes 16 and open into the upper ends of the chambers a l), as represented in F S. The tubes 46 are provided below the tunnels 60 with annular :llane'es 61 between which and shouldered portions 62 of the yoke- ;trame i l, coil-s n'ing's 63 are positioned, these springs tending to hold the members 15 in raised position, as represented in Fig. 6.

in the operation of the machine the tubes 46 are recilnocated up and down in the frame ll to cause the tubes 58, which are maintained constantly saturated with the fluxing 'tiuid in the chambers 1:9, to be carried into and out of contact with the upper surfaces of the grooves 59, as represented in Fig. 8, for daubing the flux thereon, a description of the illustrated means provided for this purpose being as follows: livoted between its ends, as indicated at 6-1, to an upwardly-extemling bracket 65 on the yoke 4-1, is a lever (36, one end of said lever being pivotally connected, as indicated at (37, to a ln'acket 68 forming a part of the cross-head 47 and pivotally connected at its opposite end, as indicated at (it to a vertically disposed link 70 slidable in a slot 71 in an extension 72 on the yoke-frame it. The link 70 is biturcatml at its lower end, as indicated at 73 (Fig. 41-) and at said bifurcated portion straddles and seats upon, under action of the springs (.33, a lever 71 connected with the outer end ot a shaft 75 journaled in the frame-sides 12. The lever T l carries at its free end a roller 76, which cooperates with a cam 77 secured to the shat't 28, whereby upon rotating); the sha'l't 28, as hereinbelme described, and. in the direction ol? the arrow in Fig. 5, the lever 7-1; will be rocked up and down on its pivot 75, the lever 71 in the particular machine ilh'lstrated serving the double function of reciprocating the link 70 and operating candi'tting mechanism 78 connected with the sha'tt 75 and serving, when projected up through slots in the bed 5), to hit the cans, when positioned beneath the tiller, cap-applier, and solder-.ring-applyine mechanism. The reciprocation oi. the [luxapplying members 15 is thus controlled by the movement of the cam 77 against the roller 76, the members 1 5, when the lever 71 and cam 77 occupy the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 5, being in raised position and when the ca1n-surt'ace o't said cam is moved into engagement with the roller T6 to move the lever 74, moving the members 1-5 to the. position illustrated in Fig. 7, in which position the tubes 58 contact with the grooves 59 in the cans tor applying the flux thereto.

As hereinbe'l'ore stated the conveymr serve to intermittently move the cans to be tilled and sealed, through the machini and be automatically-operated upon when at rest, by the lilling mechanism and the various sealing merlurnisms, and to the end ot? causing the flux to be l'lllls automatically applied to the (tans, the cam T7 is so positioned relative to the cams 27 and ii that during the movement ol the conveyer-bars It to the right in Fig. 3 and when in rair-ted position, the members 1:) will be in raised position, Fig. (3, and during the return movement ol the bars [(3 in deprer-ised condition For repositioning them to mu-torm another can-:ulvancing operation, the link 70 will be raised by the cam 77 consequently depressing the members 1-5 for causing" the tubes 58 to contact with the grooves 5!) ol the cans innnediately below them.

While I have illustrated my improved inning mechanism as forming an element of a machine designed to automatically fill and seal cans, it will be readily understood that where desired my improved fluxing mecha nism may be used independently of the tilling mechanism and the other elements forming the sealing mechanism, and, if desired, may be employed with any other suitable type of can-feeding mechanism, or may be employed independently of can-feeding mechanism, all of which departures from the machine as illustrated, as well as various modifications and alterations of the fluxapplying mechanism illustrated, being within my invention as I wish to be understood as claiming it.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a support for a can, of means for applying flux thereto about the opening in the can comprising a tubular member supported to be reciprocated toward and away from the can into and out of contact therewith and open at its lower end, an apertured partition in said tube between the ends of the latter and forming with the tube a thin-chamber, a member of absorbent material in the lower end of said tube and projecting below said partition and tube, a valve in said tube extending below said partition and relatively closely surrounded by said absorbent member for controlling the flow to said absorbent member of flux introduced into the tube above said valve, and mean for reciprocating said tube, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a support for a can, of means for supplying flux thereto about the opening in the can comprising a tubular member supported to be reciprocated toward and away from the can into and out of contact therewith and Open at. its lower end, an apertured partition in said tube between the ends of the latter and forming with the tube a tluX 'chamber, a member of absorbent material in the lo ver end of said tube and n'ojecting below the latter, a valve controlling the aperture in said partition, means connected with said alve for adjusting it relative to said partition, and means for reciprocating said tube, for the purpose set forth.

The combination with a support or a can, of means for applying flux thereto about the opening in the can comprising a tubular member supported to be reciprocated toward and away from the can into and out of Contact therewith and open at its lower end, an apertured partition in said tube be tween the ends of th latter and forming with the tube a flux-chamber, a member of 1 I absorbent material in the lower end of said tube and projecting below the latter, a valve in said tube controlling the aperture in said partition, the stem of said valve extending up through the upper end of said tube, adjustingmeans on the upper end of said valve, and means for reciprocating said tube, for the purpose set forth.

l. The combination with a support for a can, of means for applying flux thereto about the opening in the can comprising a tubular member supported to be reeiprocated toward and away from the can into and out of contact therewith and open at its lower end, an apertured partition in said tube between the ends of the latter and forming with the tube a flurechamber, an annular member of absorbent material in the lower end of said tube and projecting below the latter, a valve extending into the tube below said partition for controlling the aperture in said partition, said valve being of a diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of said annular member and extending close to the lower end of said tube, and means for reciprocating said tube, for the purpose set forth.

The combination with a support for a can, of means for applying flux thereto about the opening in the can comprising a tubular member supported to be reciprocated toward and away from the can into and out of contact therewith and open at its lower end, a member of absorbent material in the lower end of said tube and projecting below the latter, a valve in said tube for controlling the flow to said absorbent member of flu); introduced into the tube above said valve, the stem of said valve extending up through the upper (Dd of said tube, an adjusting nut screwing upon the upper end of said stem and bearing against the upper end of said tube, and means for reciprocating said tube, for the purpose setforth.

6. The combination with a support "for cans, of means for applying flu}: thereto comprising a pivotally supported lever, a reciprocatory tube movable toward and away from the cans and containing a flux-receiving chamber and a member of absorbent material supplied with flux from said chamher, said tube being operatively connected vith said lever and means for guiding said tube in its reciprocations, a shoulder on said tube, and spring means between said shoulder and guide-means for yieldingly holding said tube in, raised position.

HENRY BRANFGRD.

In presence ot- D. G. Tnonsnn, O. C. Avrsns.

topies of this patent "may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the @onimlssioner of Esteem. Washington, D. *3. 

